Late last night, minutes after NBC aired the much-anticipated cuticle-picker that was the Olympic women's all-around gymnastics finals—hours after the event actually took place, of course—the broadcast director cut from an on-floor interview with gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas to a broadcast booth somewhere nearby. In it sat longtime NBC commentator and sports journalism veteran Bob Costas, his prime-time-friendly, man-child hairdo in perfect position.

"You know, it's a happy measure of how far we've come that it doesn't seem all that remarkable, but still it's noteworthy, Gabby Douglas is, as it happens, the first African-American to win the women's all-around in gymnastics," Costas intoned, his besuited left elbow resting comfortably on the anchor desk. "The barriers have long since been down, but sometimes there can be an imaginary barrier, based on how one might see oneself."

In a political and cultural environment in which the patriotism—the very Americanness—of people of color (including the current president of the United States) is often called into question, Costas's scripted deep thought—his "little homily,” as one Twitterer called it—was at worst dishonest, at best naive. What leveled barriers, I wondered, was Mr. Costas referring to? Who, excepting the most Pollyanna-ish or cloistered of cultural observers—the type who assert the legitimacy of phrases like "post-racial"—would believe that Gabby Douglas' challenges were primarily psychic, a statement that can be contradicted by pretty much any news story or feature profile on the 16-year old gymnast, all of which make no secret of the undeniable whiteness of being that is high-level American gymnastics? "Bob Costas just re-affirmed that the success of a black person means we're not racist anymore. THANK GOD THAT'S OVER," wrote the political writer Ana Marie Cox. A few moments later she offered a revision of sorts: "Ok what he said was 'a barrier has fallen' or somesuch but one person over the wall does not a fallen barrier make. TAKES NOTHING FROM GABS."

Costas, of course, did have a point: Our ideas about ourselves, no matter our color, often prove as limiting and toxic as the external and institutional roadblocks put in our way. But you can't have one without the other. In this, Douglas' triumph seems extremely remarkable, both because of the commonality of her situation—the big dreams, the economic hardships, the one-parent household—and its unusualness: a minority in a historically "white" sport.

Army marksman Vijay Kumar gave India its second medal of the London Olympics, winning the silver in the men's 25 metre rapid fire pistol event after his compatriot and rifleman Jaydeep Karmakar narrowly missed a bronze, finishing fourth in the men's 50-metre prone event here Friday.
Leuris Pupo kept his cool to win Cuba's first gold of the Olympics. Pupo scored 34 to edge out India's Vijay Kumar, who took silver with 30.
China's Ding Feng won bronze after being edged out by Kumar by one point in the final elimination round at the Royal Artillery Barracks.
Russia's Alexei Klimov had set a new world record of 592 in qualifying, but struggled in the final after two low-scoring rounds early on, and eventually finished fourth after failing to make it into the final two medal rounds.
It was an exciting battle as the rapid fire pistol event was being held under new rules, where one of the six shooters was being eliminated after every round. German Christian Reitz was the first to be eliminated followed by Chinese Jian Zhang and Russian Alexei Klimov.
In the final round, all the six shooters had to start from scratch as their qualification scores are not counted unlike other shooting events.
Vijay, who was fourth in the qualification, was in his element right from the start in the final round. He shot a perfect five in the first series to take joint lead. Vijay followed it up with a series of 4, 4, 3, 4, 4 and 4 to stay in the medal contention. But going into the final round it was all over for Vijay and he managed just two, his worst, in the final series.

The marksman became the first Indian pistol shooter to win an Olympic medal. He is also the second Indian after double trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to win a silver medal. Rathore won the maiden individual Olympic silver for India at 2004 Athens.
Vijay's medal was second for India in the 2012 London Games after rifle shooter Gagan Narang had won bronze in the men's 10 metre air rifle event here Monday.
Narang, however, flopped Friday in the men's 50m rifle prone event where his teammate Karmakar excelled.
Karmakar finished a creditable fourth in the finals while Gagan Narang failed to qualify for the final round.
Karmakar shot an overall score of 699.1, including 595 in the qualification and 104.1 in the medal round. His score in the final was third highest among the eight shooters.

Miley Cyrus reportedly took some steamy photos for her beau, Liam Hemsworth, and now they are making the rounds online.

A photo of Cyrus naked in a bathtub covering her breasts -- showing off her signature sideboob look and her dreamcatcher tattoo -- was taken by friend and photographer Vijat Mohindra. The sexy photo is featured on his website along with several other steamy, but fully-clothed photos.

The blog Life of the Rich and Famous first posted the photo and claims it was taken in 2011, when Cyrus was just 18. Mohindra and Cyrus are known to be close friends as he actually documented the singer's Gypsy Heart tour in the spring of 2011.

The photo was allegedly intended to be for Liam's eyes only, but it is now prominently featured on Mohindra's website. Request for comment from the photographer's reps were not immediately returned.

Regardless of whether or not the photos were meant to be private, it's strange that the photo is reminiscent of Miley's 2008 Vanity Fair cover shot by photographer Annie Leibovitz. The cover photo famously featured Cyrus at the age of 15 wearing nothing but a white sheet.

From teen bride to reality TV star: Those of you who feel a morbid curiosity when it comes to Courtney Stodden, the 17-year-old bride of 52-year-old B-list actor Doug Hutchison, can now rejoice. The aspiring actress has finally landed her own reality television show, a goal of the sexed-up, perpetually bikini-clad Stodden ever since saying "I do" to Hutchison one year ago.

"People are going to be very excited," Stodden's mother and manager Krista Keller told Celebuzz. She also confirmed to the publication that filming would last three weeks at an undisclosed location.

Stodden also exercised uncharacteristic restraint about the details on Twitter, saying only: "FYI Stoddenista's: Will be m.i.a. for about 3 weeks - packing up & heading out to shoot a reality show! Love you all xxx God Bless, Courtney."

Stodden and Hutchison married in August 2011, despite a 35-year age difference and the fact that Stodden was just 16 years old. Hutchison is a character actor who has appeared in "The Green Mile" and "Lost"; no word on whether he will have a role in Stodden's reality show.

 The President, Vice President and Prime Minister have greeted the nation on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan being celebrated on Thursday.

President Pranab Mukherjee in his message said, "On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, I extend my greetings and good wishes to my fellow citizens in India and abroad."

He said Raksha Bandhan is the celebration of the unique relationship that exists between brothers and sisters and the tying of a Rakhi symbolises love, affection and mutual trust between sisters and brothers.
President, PM greet nation on Raksha Bandhan

"May the spirit of this festival strengthen fraternal feelings in our society, and remind us of the importance of unity and harmony, as we strive collectively for the well- being of our people," he said.

Vice President Hamid Ansari in his message said, "Rakshabandhan signifies the protective bond between brothers and sisters and the celebration of this festival plays an important role in spreading the message of unity and harmony in our society."

He called upon people to follow the ideals associated with the festival to promote the spirit of amity, harmony and goodwill.

In his greetings to the people of the nation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for celebrating the joyous occasion to strengthen the bonds of love and affection in family and society.

"We should use this occasion to promote peace, harmony and brotherhood in our country," he said.

After a fake Taiwanese animation teaser spoof hit the Web in May, the official trailer for Lee Daniels' controversial film "The Paperboy" has finally been released. And we're not going to lie: We really wanted a glimpse of the highly buzzed about scene where Nicole Kidman urinates on Zac Efron after his character gets bit by a jellyfish.

Alas, perhaps it's best to leave some things to the imagination. (Besides, at least we get to see the two dance around in their underwear!)

Based on Pete Dexter's 1995 novel, "The Paperboy" follows a reporter (Matthew McConaughey) who investigates the potential wrongful conviction of a Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack), a sleazy inmate on death row. Efron plays McConaughey's onscreen brother, with Kidman starring as Charlotte, a woman who falls in love with Hillary and is convinced he's innocent of murdering a Florida sheriff.

While the film represents a turning point in Efron's career, it's Kidman -- and her Southern drawl -- who steals the show in the trailer. Back in May, Kidman told reporters she wasn't really uncomfortable with the film's more personal scenes. "I think I had to step into a place to play the character where I didn't step out of it and look at myself, so it wasn't hard to shoot," she said at Cannes, where the film premiered. Not only did Kidman do her own hair and makeup on set, but she also took the time to pose for a few provocative pictures for the director. Obviously, Kidman was really getting into her character.

Watch the "Paperboy" trailer above. Look for the film in theaters later this ye

 Nathan Adrian of the United States won the men's 100-meter freestyle by the smallest of margins at the London Olympics on Wednesday.

Adrian clocked 47.52 seconds to win by 0.01 ahead of world champion James "The Missile" Magnussen of Australia.

Magnussen touched in 47.53 to take the silver medal and Brent Hayden of Canada finished in 47.80 for bronze.

Robyn Lawley is a size 16 and proud of it. Australian Vogue's first 'plus-size' cover girl has just broken another boundary in the fashion industry as the new face of a U.K. lingerie line for women with curves.

"I am delighted to be chosen as the face and body of Boux Avenue lingerie," Robyn said in a press statement."The brand is striving to promote a healthy body image and their size range reflects this."

Demand for more body types in fashion grows

Notice she didn't use the term 'plus size.' "I'm a normal size. I wish we could all be known as models, rather than 'plus-size,'" she told The Australian in a recent interview.

At 6'2, the 23-year-old Sydney native spent the early part of her modeling career struggling to be the opposite of "normal" to suit fashion industry standards.

'I stumbled across pro-anorexia websites and scoured them for tips,' she admitted in a 2011 Fabulous Magazine interview. "I began starving myself and making myself sick after meals."

Watch: When did size 6 become plus-size?

But by the time she turned 18, her mindset changed and so did her potential impact on the industry. She signed with a modeling agency for natural body types and in 2011 landed on the cover of French Elle.
Robyn modeling polka dots in her new campaign. (Boux Avenue)
Now part of the growing movement of fashion insiders challenging the industry's unhealthy body expectations, she's embraced her foodie instincts with the blog Robyn Lawley Eats, a collage of recipes, indulgences and firsts ("Trying oysters for the first time properly!") It's everything the pro-anorexia sites are not: the only models on her tumblr are from cooking store displays. In a recent post she wrote: "A simple pan $1000 at Willams-Sonoma...not gonna lie I want it."

She can probably afford it now. After replacing the campaign's former plus-size model, Ola Jordan, who was six sizes smaller, Robyn is making headlines with her viral photoshoot. Lets be honest, the pictures aren't only popular with female supporters. Dressed in a pink satin and lace bra and skimpy underpants, lounging on a sheepskin rug, normal isn't the first word that comes to mind. Neither is "plus size."

Former Plus size model: Size 10 model Ola Jordan was the company’s brand ambassador before Robyn (Boux Avenue)And that's just the point. The UK brand's Hidden Allure and After Hours Glamour lines, with sizes ranging from 8 to 20, are far from girdles. These lacy bras, undergarments and animal print slips, aren't about reigning in waistlines but vamping them up. For now the mid-priced line (think $20-$40 range) is only available in the UK, but according the Boux Avenue website they "do their best" to accommodate international requests over email.

From an industry standpoint, Robyn's campaign is proof that Victoria's Secret skinny Angels aren't the only skimpily clad models with cross-over sex appeal. (Remember when those runway models were considered "normal" because they had muscles?) From a consumer's perspective, it's also a sign of what's to come: lingerie designed for showing off your curves, not hiding them.

Elected officials have urged Chick-fil-A to stay out of their cities, the Jim Henson Company has severed ties, and gay rights groups are organizing national protests against the fried chicken chain. But at the Chick-fil-A where Andrew works in northern Alabama, business has been booming over the past few weeks.

On Wednesday -- dubbed "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day" by former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee -- lines are stretching out the front door and the parking lot is packed with customers coming out to support company chief executive Dan Cathy, who recently came out against same-sex marriage with statements that have polarized lovers of the fast-food chain.

Andrew, a gay 24-year-old who has been working at the northern Alabama Chick-fil-A since January, sat in his car smoking a cigarette and watching the crowd during a break earlier Wednesday.

"I call it hater appreciation day," said Andrew, who asked that his last name be withheld out of fear he'd be fired. "It's very, very depressing."

Chick-fil-A has long come under fire from activists for giving millions to groups that advocate against gay rights and even support ex-gay therapy, but the fire has ratcheted up in recent weeks, following interviews in which Cathy said he was “guilty as charged” of supporting “the biblical definition of the family unit" and that gay marriage invites "God's judgment on our nation."

Now, Chick-fil-A sits at the center of furious debate over same-sex marriage, gay rights and free speech, with politicians, activists, and newspaper editorial boards weighing in from all sides.

The company has remained mostly silent on the issue. On the company's Facebook page, a post declares, "The Chick-fil-A culture and service tradition in our restaurants is to treat every person with honor, dignity and respect – regardless of their belief, race, creed, sexual orientation or gender." (On the page, the company also maintains that it severed ties with the Jim Henson Company, first). The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Huffington Post, and Dan Cathy has not given any subsequent interviews since the controversy began.

Another group staying mostly silent on the issue are the gay, lesbian and bisexual employees who staff the restaurants. They say that, like most employees of the company, they aren't allowed to speak to the press.

For these employees, the last couple of weeks have been very difficult.

One gay employee who works at Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta, Ga., and asked to remain anonymous for fear of losing his job, says he is getting it from both sides. On the one hand, there is the customer who came in and said he supported Dan Cathy and then "continues to say something truly homophobic, e.g. 'I'm so glad you don't support the queers, I can eat in peace,'" the employee, who is 23 and has worked for Chick-fil-A since he was 16, wrote in an email. On the other hand, he continued, "I was yelled at for being a god loving, conservative, homophobic Christian while walking some food out to a guest in a mall dining room."

He disagrees with Cathy's views, but the reaction from the public has been just as hard to swallow.

"It seems like very few people have stopped to think about who actually works for Chick-fil-A and what those people's opinions are," he wrote. "They are putting us in a pot and coming to support us or hate us based on something they heard and assume we agree with."

Eight female badminton players were thrown out of the Olympics on Wednesday for trying to lose matches the day before, the Badminton World Federation announced after a disciplinary hearing.

"After a hearing this morning before the BWF’s Disciplinary Committee the following pairs were disqualified: Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang (China); Greysia Polii and Meiliana Jauhari (Indonesia); Jung Kyung Eun and Kim Ha Na (Korea); and Ha Jung Eun and Kim Min Jung (Korea)," read a statement from the Badminton World Federation.

The players from China, South Korea and Indonesia were accused of playing to lose to face easier opponents in future matches.

The Indonesian and South Korean pairs appealed the decision, the BWF said, and a decision on their appeals is expected later on Wednesday.

The eight players concerned had all already qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament before the final matches of the group stage on Tuesday night.

But the results of the last group matches mean the Chinese pair, Wang Xiaoli and Yu Yang - ranked No. 1 in the world - avoid potentially facing another top Chinese duo until the final on Saturday.

The two lackluster contests in London angered the watching crowds.

British sports fans going into the Olympic Park on Wednesday called it "shocking" after seeing parts of the matches on television.

"It's not in the spirit of the thing," said Kevin Button, from Ashford in Kent, just outside of London.

"And it's so disappointing for the people who came to see it," his wife Tina said. "It leaves a bit of a sour taste."